1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to an apparatus, system and method of vapor recovery from accumulated oil in a vessel and the reusing of the same. More particularly, the present invention provides a new and improved vapor recovery system that utilizes captured vapors from accumulated oil from oil tanks and or processing tanks to fuel a burner associated with vapor removal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the oil and gas industry, it is known that wells produce not just oil, but gas also. Although the majority of gas is recovered and passed into a separate storage vessel or sales line designed to hold natural gas, the separated oil goes into storage tanks. It is understood that the gaseous elements continue to be released or evaporate from the accumulated oil even after the separation. It is also understood that oil in liquid form continues to release gasses and that the grade of the oil is a direct correlation to its volatility and thereby, its release of gaseous elements.
A major concern facing the field is the ever growing and constant concern with environmental impact of oil and gas production coupled with the ever increasing need to maximize efficiency and recovery. Prior art methods that were perfectly acceptable just years ago are now politically and environmentally unfriendly as well as wasteful in hindsight. Whereas it was acceptable to vent and or burn off vapors from oil and processing tanks associated with well production, it is not considered a viable economic or environmentally sound method or process to do so.
The EPA is also now requiring that oil and gas companies eliminate vapors coming off their oil tanks. When the well is new, the oil company can make money by installing a vapor recovery unit to compress and sell these tank vapors. Later on in the well life, there are not enough tank vapors to cover the rental cost of the vapor recovery unit and so a vapor combustor is purchased and the tank vapors are sent to the combustor to be burned. Current gas flares and or incinerators cost at least $15,000 plus the cost of hookup.
Almost every tank battery on a new well will have a heater treater or some type of process burner on the location. This process of burning the vapors obviously requires a fuel source for the burners. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a process that will conserve gas by eliminating the need to supply burners with marketable gas and instead supplying it with gas that will be burned up anyway.
The above discussed limitations in the prior art is not exhaustive. Thus, there is a need for an apparatus, method and system to recycle gas from oil tanks for the purpose of burning vapors from same. The current invention provides an inexpensive, time saving, more reliable apparatus and method of fueling burners associated with vapor removal from oil and processing tanks where the prior art fails.